Online Markets for Pangolin-Derived Products
A Talk by Kristina Amerhauser , Théo Clément , Dan Challender and Ceres Kam
About this Talk
Pangolin are known to be among the world’s most trafficked animals, and are highly demanded for their meat, claws but most importantly their scales, used as remedies in the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Of all eight pangolin species, all are considered as critically endangered.
The Market Montoring and Friction Unit (MMFU), within GI-TOC, has conducted a month-long investigation into the supply chains of the pangolin-derived TCM drugs, with a particular focus on online trade conducted in both Chinese and English. Using and innovative, machine-learning enabled data collection methodology, our study shows that the trade in pangolin-derived products online often contradict to the spirit, if not the letter of international laws and regulations that aim at protecting endangered species, and calls for further regulation.
This event will present the main findings of GI’s recently released “Online markets for pangolin-derived products”, and discuss the current state of the threat on pangolin species.